The locomotive has a diesel powertrain, using hydraulic transmission, with both bogies driven by cardan shafts, and all wheels powered.

Space was reserved for the installation of an electrical generator later on, the proposed conversion of the machines to the 218 series never came about - the exception was 215 112 which was rebuilt as DB Class 218 399 after an accident.

[1] Numbers 030 to 032 locos were exceptional in that they were fitted from the outset with an electric heater (steam heating was removed) driven from an auxiliary diesel of type 8V 331 TC 10 with an output of 520 kW at 2100 rpm.

[4] The steam heating boilers needed fuel and water tanks which for this service were now unnecessary, thus they were replaced with a ballast weight, the engines remained unchanged.

One high-profile working in the 1980s was the D 216/217 "Austria-Express" ( from Klagenfurt via Graz/Krefeld to Amsterdam) between Krefeld central station (Hauptbahnhof Hbf.)